Think about this one: On one hand this administrations working to cut back on national monument areas that were declared so by previous presidents. On the other hand this administration, in the person of the current president, is publicly declaring that statues that celebrate the leaders who committed treason against the United States and fought to be able to enslave other humans should be saved. Part of the reason the current president gives is that these statues represent “history.”

Well, in a sense they do represent history, but a very onerous history. By having such history displayed in public places with public money seems to condone the ideas those meant fought for. Yet on the other hand, by minimizing areas designated by previous presidents this administration is essentially saying that they denigrate the ideals behind the designation of those areas. What a convoluted, bizarro set of messages this administration is sending out.

Well, another week of diverting attention from the Russia probe for the administration. Were you keeping up?

1) One headline from the current president’s speech in Phoenix is what he didn’t do for a local politician there. What didn’t 45 do while in Phoenix?

2) The current president also claimed that he would call for a government shutdown if what isn’t funded?

3) Iowa announced that Apple would be building a tech center in what Des Moines suburb?

4) Local and state tax “incentives” total $213,000,000 for this tech center. How many permanent jobs will Iowa be gaining with this tech center?

5) Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot was the largest in North America for a single winning ticket. What state was the winning ticket sold in?

6) Two larger than life comic figures died in the past week. What stand up comedian was one of the first to mix civil rights in with his comedy routines during the ‘60s?

7) The other comedian had a long career covering radio, stage, screen and television. What comedian was probably best known for his fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy?

8) The Department of the Interior issued a cease order on a study of the health effects of what kind of mining?

9) Who is the current Lieutenant Governor of Iowa? (just seeing if you are paying attention)

10) “Crying Nazi” Christopher Cantwell was arrested Thursday in Charlottesville, Va. on felony charges for using what caustic agents on protestors?

11) After what seemed to be a very quick approval process, corporate giant Amazon should complete its takeover of what food outlet Monday?

12) Today is yet another August presidential birthday. What president saw his dreams of a “Great Society” go down in the flames of a war in Vietnam?

13) August 28th, 1963. Once more we commemorate what huge event that took place in Washington, DC on that day?

14) Who ignored all advice and looked directly at the eclipse on Monday?

15) Nine sailors were missing and one died when what US Navy destroyer collided with an oil tanker near Singapore Monday?

16) Nearly 60 million people in what country risk being poisoned by arsenic in the groundwater in the Indus Valley?

17) Johnson and Johnson lost another lawsuit in Los Angeles over a link between ovarian cancer and what Johnson and Johnson product?

18) Another country with a statue of the wrong person problem. The Ukraine has removed all 1320 statues of what historical figure over the past two years?

19) Who “made my skin crawl” according to Hillary Clinton in her new book?

20) The Senate Judiciary Committee had a transcribed interview with what key figure in the Russia-Trump investigation?

what I wanted to scream at the Joni Ernst town hall when she declared herself “pro life.”

Answers:

1) Pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But he did sort of promise that would come later.

2) his wall with Mexico

3) Waukee

4) 50

5) Massachusetts

6) Dick Gregory

7) Jerry Lewis

8) mountain top removal mining

9) Adam Gregg – Talk about being nearly anonymous

10) pepper spray

11) Whole Foods

12) LBJ

13) The March on Washington

14) Trump

15) USS John S. McCain

16) Pakistan

17) talcum powder

18) Lenin – we leave it to you to figure out if there is any correlation to confederate statues

19) Trump during their second debate

20) Glenn Simpson co-founder of Fusion GPS that produced the dossier on the current president

Contrary to what photos show, the current president was not looking at the sun Monday during the eclipse. He was looking at the moon.